Gary Powell, Composer/Producer

by Gary Powell

We commonly understand that illegal drug use, alcohol abuse and driving on the wrong side of the road are bad for humans. However, there is no more efficient way to forestall a perfectly talented artistic career than to be unequally yoked in either a professional or personal relationship. Being unequally yoked is a Biblical reference, but nonetheless, I like the descriptive metaphor of two oxen of different strengths joined by a big block of wood ostensibly joining forces to pull a creative load of art. Just make sure that the oxen coupled to you is an equal in all regards: four legs, two eyes, nice haunches, health insurance and an IRA account. If that ox on your immediate right is half your weight in these areas, then it’s not only your monetary success that will soon be forestalled. You may find that the passion for what was previously your “inspired work” will quickly minify to “busy work”. The up side is that you may soon enjoy a new and flourishing resentment of nearly everything in life, always entertaining chatter at parties.

Make the life you want to live rather than living a life which only solves the problems of others unless it is your conscious choice to do so.

Having partners that either restrain us or push us where we don’t want to go will put a check in the box of your life’s spreadsheet in the column labeled “Failure Due to Bad Decisions”! This spreadsheet field’s formula is a simple “yes” or “no”. Too many metaphors? Probably not. Our culture, family, jobs and government are all willing to burden us with the yoke of hidden responsibilities until we finally rebel and simply say ‘No more’! – Gary Powell

1. Look for your inability to make a decision without consulting at least one powerful person or your posse.
2. Look to see if you have a posse. Unless yours is consciously and legally locked to your mission, then the members of your posse will each absolutely serve their own purposes. Sadly, at first your posse won’t feel like self-serving sycophants. They will feel like friends. There is nothing better than trusted friends, however, the real ones will have their own lives and goals and won’t have the time or the interest to suck off yours. This is why so many arts programs are best organized under the Internal Revenue 501(c)(3) Tax Code.
3. Look for writer’s block, depression or rage in yourself even if you are able to hide it from others.
4. Look for friends who are always tempting you to quit working for the night and go out on the town.
5. Look at your unsecured credit card debt.
6. Look for a pattern of buyer’s remorse.
7. Look at the size of your “regrets” file versus the size of your “aspirations” file.
8. Look at your health.
9. Look to see how many times a day you say, “If I had only…”
10. Look to see how many times a day you say, “I feel great for no reason” or “I have hope in my heart”. If this never happens, you may have found the first destination pin in the map you should be using to retrace your previous bad decisions that are affecting you now. Our repetitive bad decisions can indeed be the map for learning about ourselves. Figure this out as early as possible, so you can quit making the wrong stops with the wrong people at the wrong time.

If all this is too confusing, then do this: Make the life you most want to live rather than either living the life or solving the problems of others, unless it is your conscious choice to do so. Your creative life is not any person’s or institution’s responsibility but your own.

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Incompetence hides under the many rocks of false assumptions. This is certainly not information specific to the entertainment industry. It is the pandemic reality of our very human nature and is very possibly written in our DNA.

We are all familiar with authors employing ghostwriters. We are less aware of when self-proclaimed film composers dungeon-up real ghost-composers to realize their ideas. True composers rightfully call these pretend composers “hummers”. Can you hum a tune? Congratulations, you are now a composer. According to Presidential ghostwriter James C. Humes, we’ve had only five Presidents of the United States who penned their own speeches. The problem with all this is that anybody can grow up thinking they can be President and anybody is exactly who we get. This system begs the question: to whose voice are we actually listening and whose music are we actually hearing?

What we should most want is to become disillusioned! – Jonathan Hartzell

Jonathan Hartzell is a brilliant wordsmith and personal friend. He asks pointedly, “why should anyone have the goal of becoming illusional?” Therefore, disillusionment should be our goal. The truth is a good thing, but largely not taught either because of purposeful deception or tenured ignorance.

Have you ever wondered why we commit incredible time, money and effort in earning a college education, only to find that after our very first job interview your college transcript is never requested again? Yes, at some point our experience does far outweigh our education. However, there is a less obvious and seldom taught component to success.

We mistake anger for genius. We mistake celebrity for talent and talent for intelligence. We mistake position and title for power. We mistakenly confuse conscription with honor and self-sacrifice.

First, the emperor may possibly be as naked as you are in that recurring school nightmare on test day! Second, he has obtained his high post by no known means. So, who is your emperor? The answer: the person who holds the keys to your kingdom however you may define it. Let’s assume you find him and he will actually entertain your company fully clothed. Depending on where you are in life, you may or may not be able to perceive this person’s competence. If not, then I say hope for the best. However, there are certain signs, if read correctly, that you may be in the dangerous presence of real Peter-Principle incompetence or the very personable and charming sycophant; the common “suck-up”.

Seek out relationships which honor and support your contribution.

Why dangerous? The biggest goal of incompetence is to NOT be found out! Revealing the impostor’s disguise, even with a knowing glance, may cause you to loose your opportunity or maybe even your job especially if you continue telegraphing this observation. Ask Galileo how it turned out for him to simply reveal the truth. Flip side; you keep quiet and consequently loose your own voice. Obviously, there is no good choice here. Move on quickly yet prudently!

How can you learn to detect incompetent superiors? Judgment, maturity and experience will serve you best here. Be quick to know and slow to judge! Your experience will not be my experience and your judgement not my judgement. We are all wrongly judged from time to time and I will not load you up with ammunition for some emotionally unconscious ambush. I will say that you should seek out relationships which honor and support your contribution. If they don’t, then you may be in the presence of a person or organization which will neither honor or support you as an individual. This of course is dependent on your bringing something to the table besides just yourself and your good looks.

Please vow to never use your power to disguise your own incompetence by hijacking credit you don’t deserve.

Remember, we all showed up on this Earth completely and totally incompetent, so again, be quick to know and slow to judge. Next, learn and improve while building your alliances with individuals and organizations which honor your contribution. Live long and prosper.

Gary Powell, Composer

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